The Opelousas courier., 1887-10-15
DECAPITATED.
How Capital Punishment is
Managed in Japan.
A Quick and Painless Death at
the Hands of the Executioner.

A contributor TO the Gentlemcn's Mag
azine describes an execution in Japan.
We quote as follows: AS each man
stepped from the path OIL to the plateau
his eyes were firmly bandagel with
white paper, the only act of mercy | saw
vouchsafed That masglning. Finally they
were ranged in line the two cripples
huddled on the ground, their poor heads
as they dropped from shoulder to shout
| der being roughly buffetcd to a proper
angle by the policeman in charge. This
accomplished, amid a silence SO absolute
that we could almost hear our hearts
beat, the great man On the camp stool
rose, and unfolding a large document,
read in a loud voice what
we supposed to be a description of the
crimes for which the poor fellows were to
suffer and the process of condemnation
and sentence. This was a very long bust
ness, and before it had nearly finished the
native spectators were laughing and jok-
ing upon the appearance of the doomed
men, with that callousness to human suf-
fering which so much blackens the other
wise amiable and pleasing character OF
the japanese people. At last it was fin
ished. As there were but five holes for
seven prisoners, two would be obliged to
remain in blind agony while their com
panions were being dispatched. Five
rhcn were accordingly thrust forward
with the slaves and fists of the police;
each man was made to squat on a mound,
his clothes If filthy, tattered rags could
be called clothes-stripped from his
shoulders, his hands tied behind his back,
and his head pushed forward over the
hole. Our feelings at this awful moment
can better be imagined than described,
but l think we felt quite as much
pity for the two poor wretches
left alone to listen to
what was going on without that arti-
fetal aid to fortitudc which the sight Of
a crowd sometimes gives, as for their
companions on 3hcir death seats. I'm
doubtedly execution by the trcnchant
Japanese sword is as merciful a death as
can be desired; but the Oriental nature,
as if to compensate for this crring on
the side of mercy counterbalances it by
an undue ~prolongation or the prepara-
tions for death, which is worse than q
hundred deaths. So in this case. As
the poor fellows knelt over their holes
the executioner slowly and deliberately
took off his coat and barred his
arms. Then he took from its silk casing
the fatal sword, examined it fondly and
li~ngeringly from the Yasuri nc, or filings
on the hilt to keep the grasp from slip
ping along the Kirimon. or groove in the
blade, tn the point, sheld it over a pail
while q coolie trickled water down it,
l and with a g~reatb6eaffSS 81 of settling of his
feet was ready. | r|t sick and giddy,
but kept my eyes fixed on the scene.
t At a sign from the official on the CAM
r stool, the cxecutioner raised his sword
S slightly, hardly half a dozen inches and
almost before / could realize it the mans
3 head was hanging over the hole by {
single ligament, and the blood was gush
G ing forth in torrents. I then saw why
the executioner had not completely sew.
. cred the head; and the wonderful skill
1 of the Japanese ~swordsmen, using a
{ they do4he most perfect weapons in tn
! world, can be imagined in so arranging
y Che force of the blow that absolute de
G capitation does not take place. He or
the head off and held it toward tle fou
sides of the square; then he gave it to
coolie, who roughly plastered the sew
cred portion with clay and stuck it on
Z kind of elevated shelf. In the mean
L while two coolies were humping On tn
10 back of the PROSTATE body to hasten tn
rush of blood, after which one of tn
b coarse mats was thrown over it and
1t was laid aside. ! had seen enough, an
I turned my head away as the execution
= er, after wiping his blade with paper
80 approached the second poor wretcl
n who was shouting out something at tn
E. top of his voice, whether a confession
a d~enunciation of injustice, / was nc
scholar enough to understand.
Is